This is part 2 in a 12 part series highlighting designs from our 12 Days of Winter, Series 2 Edition.
Meet the Illusion Throw (pattern link)! Made using machine washable Uptown Worsted, this throw is squishy, resilient to pilling (perfect for everyday use!), and the perfect size to throw over your couch.
This graphic throw is inspired by one of my other favorite crafty things: quilting. Illusion Throw is definitely not like your grandmother’s quilt. Rather, it is a knitted interpretation of some beautiful modern and graphic quilts I’ve seen out there in the world.
I wanted to create a project easy enough for beginners (so no complicated shapes or shaping) but entertaining for more experienced knitters, too. The stitches themselves are easy – there is nothing more than knit and purl going on here.
The color changes – where white shifts to light gray and then to dark gray – this is achieved using the intarsia technique. I feel like intarsia sometimes has an unpleasant reputation, but it’s actually very simple to do. And there are only a few color changes on each row, so there is no need to have a thousand bobbins hanging off the back of your work.
To change colors with intarsia, all you’re doing is dropping the color you were using, picking up the new color behind the old one (to prevent any gaps or holes in your work) and knitting on. That’s it!
Remember, you can find Series 2 of the 12 Days of Winter Kits patterns on Ravelry.
This is part 1 in a 12 part series highlighting designs from our 12 Days of Winter, Series 2 Edition.
We can hardly believe it’s already November. Knitting season is in full swing. Our needles and hooks are full of warm and woolly goodness. We’re preparing for the holidays – working tirelessly on special projects for friends and family. Here at Universal Yarn, we’ve also been working hard to create the second annual installment of a beautiful collection of wintry kits to welcome the season. So, at long last, we’re able to reveal the first of twelve special kits. Say hello to the 12 Days of Winter 2018 Collection!
I’m a big fan of stranded colorwork. It may take a backseat to knitting cables, but for some reason, I simply cannot resist a good pair of colorwork socks. The Mistletoes socks combine self-striping Adore Colors and Adore for a visually striking effect.
Notice the changes in color for the colorwork portions. That effect is created by Adore Colors.
Despite the beauty of stranded colorwork, many knitters find themselves intimidated. Like everything else in knitting, once you’ve done it you realize how simple it really is. If you haven’t done colorwork before I want to empower you to get your feet wet – if you have, I want to encourage you to learn a bit more! Let’s get down to it! I’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you along the way.
Get comfortable with charts. This is something else that can intimidate knitters, but it’s essential for colorwork. I’d actually argue that colorwork is an excellent introduction to reading charts since you’re usually only looking at colors. Last year I included some tips and tricks for understanding charts. You can find the full post here (link).
Manage your yarn. Managing your yarn well when knitting colorwork can make the process so much more enjoyable. I recommend keeping each ball of yarn on a separate side to prevent unnecessary, annoying twists and tangles.
Notice one ball is placed on the left and one is placed on the right. This prevents them from twisting around one another.
Taking care of tension. This is probably the most important aspect of stranded knitting. To achieve the results you want, your tension should be even. Why? Floats. Since you’re carrying two strands of yarn across the back of your work, one of the yarns will always be “on hold” while you work stitches with the other color.
The right and wrong sides of the work. Notice the floats of yarn on the wrong side. They’re quite pretty!
If your floats are too tight, the fabric will pucker. Puckered fabric is considerably less elastic and will appear a bit bumpy – taking away from the beautiful patterning you worked so hard on. Not to worry, though! There are ways to ensure that your floats are even and not too tight. I’m personally a pretty tight knitter, so I use these techniques, too.
Use larger needles. First things first: swatch, swatch, swatch! Once you do, you’ll realize that your gauge in stockinette stitch is different than your gauge in stranded knitting. To combat the difference, changing needles helps a lot. Expect to use needles that are one to two sizes larger for stranded portions of your knitting. Most patterns, including the Mistletoes, will direct you to do this. However; that’s not always the case. Keep this in mind whenever you’re knitting colorwork.
Turn your work inside-out. This is exactly what it sounds like. By turning your work inside-out, your floats will be facing you while you’re knitting. It doesn’t change the actual knitting at all, but it’s a simple way to manage your floats. By carrying your floats on the outside, you’re allowing them a bit more room. This trick is simple, easy, and effective.
Notice the right side is on the inside of the round.
Notice that the wrong side of the fabric is facing outward.
Gently stretch your work. Chances are that you’ll sometimes have a stitch that’s a bit odd – perhaps a bit too tight or a bit too loose. You can rectify the issue by occasionally stopping to give the fabric a gentle stretch. Don’t be overzealous as that can cause stitches to get more uneven. A little goes a long way.
Gently stretch the work downward.Gently stretch the work horizontally.
Manually even out oddball stitches. Like I’ve mentioned above, there are instances where a stitch looks a bit wonky. If a gentle stretch doesn’t help you can manually pick the stitches around it to try and even things out.
Oh no! Look at this awful little stitch! It’s far too tight and hidden by the surrounding stitches. Good thing you can work some magic!Insert your needle behind the right leg and then the left leg of the naughty stitch.Once you’ve picked up both legs, gently tug on the stitch – give it a little wiggle.The naughty stitch has realized the error of its ways! You can now see the stitch very well and it looks lovely alongside its friends. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
Block it out! Blocking is magic. The process evens out stitches, so when you finish your work be sure to block it! Once the yarn blooms it will fill up any negative space in your fabric allowing your colorwork to shine! Just be sure to follow the care instructions on your yarn label so that you don’t unintentionally damage the fabric. Side note: we have a post to help you understand yarn labels, too. Find it here (link).
Look how pretty and even the colorwork is after blocking.
That’s it! I hope these tips and tricks will help you as you knit the Mistletoes or any stranded colorwork. Remember, you can find Series 2 of the 12 Days of Winter Kit patterns on Ravelry.
